Ok, we are in midterm land now. Exams upon exams are flowing down and the overwhelmed feeling is making its home in your brain. Some things such as: ice cream, sunshine, and worship can help this feeling and make getting through the week easier. The ultimate power though, lies with the teacher. What she says in class can make or break you. So, here are a few things you don't want to hear from your teacher.
1. You have a midterm.
This is by far the worst. This four word statement will cause hours of studying, three mental breakdowns, and one hour spent figuring out what you will need to get in order to pass the class. Without this phrase, the rest of this article would not be needed.
So, you have an exam. As if this wasn't bad enough, you might be lucky enough to get a teacher that utters one (or more) of these lovely phrases:
2. Open Note Exam.
Some might not see this as a bad thing. If you are one of those people, then you have never taken an open note exam. In theory, these tests should be easier because you get to have all the answers at your fingertips right? Wrong. Unless you wrote down every word uttered by your professor, you are in trouble. They will ask the most minuscule details thinking, "They have their notes, so this should be no problem." If you hear this phrase, get at least 7 other people's notes. At least.
3. No Notecard.
For some reason, I expect my Prof to allow me to have a notecard on exams. I'm not sure why I think this way considering I have had all of two Professors that let me have one. Even though I have no reason to believe they will let me, I still get horribly disappointed when they say it.
4. Cumulative.
If there was one word in the english language that should be banned from classrooms, it should be this one. That might be a slight exaggeration but still. Teachers LOVE cumulative exams. Students LOATHE cumulative exams. Why would one exam covering half of the bodily systems ever be a good idea?
5. Not multiple choice.
Multiple choice exams are sent straight from Heaven. Some people argue that these exams are actually harder. This is false. Don't fill your head with these lies. How could having to pull an answer out of thin air be better than getting to pick from four? It can't. When your teacher says the exams are not multiple choice, plan to double your study time.
By the end of the week, you will be brain dead. End of story. But, the joy of making it through the week without dropping out will be enough to get you through the next week of classes.
